Why Mulan is One of the Most Profound Stories About Identity and Courage

I’ve always loved a good “girl power” story. The kind where a woman steps into her strength, defies expectations, and claims her place in the world. But Mulan is different.

It’s not just about empowerment for the sake of it. It’s about something much deeper.

Mulan is a story about believing in who you are, even when the whole world insists you are something else.

It’s about identity.

About courage.

About rewriting the narrative when the one given to you doesn’t fit.

And honestly, isn’t that what so many of us are doing in life?

When the World Tells You Who You Should Be

From the moment we meet Mulan, she is trying to conform. She’s preparing for the matchmaker, struggling to present herself as the ideal bride—poised, obedient, graceful. She’s told, “A girl can bring her family honor in one way: by striking a good match.”

But it’s not who she is.

She stumbles. She speaks when she shouldn’t. She doesn’t fit the mold, and for that, she feels like a disappointment.

That moment when she wipes off her makeup and stares at her reflection in the water? It’s one of the most poignant scenes in the film because it’s not just about her outer appearance. It’s about dissonance—about looking at yourself and feeling like you don’t quite fit the role you’ve been given.

Haven’t we all felt that at some point?

Society tells us who we’re supposed to be based on gender, culture, upbringing, career paths. Expectations are placed on us—sometimes spoken, sometimes unspoken. And when we don’t quite fit, we’re left questioning, Is something wrong with me?

But the truth is, the problem isn’t who we are—the problem is the box we’ve been told to fit into.

Choosing to Step Forward Anyway

Mulan doesn’t wake up one day and decide she wants to be a warrior. She isn’t seeking glory or rebellion. She makes the choice out of necessity—because she refuses to let her father go to war when she knows he won’t survive.

So she takes his armor, cuts her hair, and rides off in his place.

But here’s what makes her story so powerful: she isn’t instantly great.

She struggles in training. She’s weaker than the men. She can’t keep up. She is mocked.

And isn’t that how it often feels when we step into something new? When we claim a space we weren’t "meant" to be in? Impostor syndrome kicks in. We question if we made the right choice. We feel like everyone else knows what they’re doing, and we’re just trying not to drown.

But the difference between those who succeed and those who don’t? Resilience.

That’s what Mulan embodies. She doesn’t quit when things get hard. She adapts. Instead of brute force, she uses intellect. When she’s asked to carry the heavy buckets up the pole—a task meant to break her—she figures out a new way to do it.

And once she does? She’s unstoppable.

Your Strength is in What Sets You Apart

Mulan doesn’t succeed because she becomes like the men around her. She succeeds because she leans into what makes her different.

She wins battles through cleverness, not just combat. She saves her unit by using a cannon to trigger an avalanche—something no one else would have considered.

Even after she is exposed as a woman and cast out, she doesn’t give up. She sees the bigger picture. She realizes that strength isn’t just about wielding a sword—it’s about strategy, perspective, and daring to act when others hesitate.

And that’s what makes her extraordinary.

How often do we feel like we have to change to succeed? Like we have to mimic others, fit in, become something we’re not just to be accepted?

But the truth is, the thing that makes you stand out—the way your mind works differently, the unconventional ideas you have, the perspective you bring—is likely your greatest strength.

The Power of Rewriting Your Own Story

At the end of the film, Mulan returns home. But this time, she is not trying to be something she’s not.

She isn’t returning as the perfect bride or the dutiful daughter who follows every rule. She is returning as herself.

And she is honored for it.

That’s the part that always gets me. Because we spend so much of our lives trying to fit into expectations—whether it’s in our careers, relationships, or personal identity.

But the most fulfilling moments come when we own who we are.

The world will always try to tell you who you should be. It will impose labels, limits, and rules that seem unbreakable. But if Mulan teaches us anything, it’s that:

You don’t have to fit the mold to succeed.

Your greatest strength is what makes you different.

Courage isn’t about being fearless—it’s about moving forward despite the fear.

So whatever your path is—whether you’re forging your way in a male-dominated industry, pursuing a creative dream people don’t understand, or simply trying to find your place in a world that keeps telling you you’re not enough—remember this:

You define yourself. You write your own story.

And that? That is the most powerful thing of all.

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